Rotterdam holidays

How to reach Rotterdam

• Flight time: Flights to Rotterdam from London take about 1 hour 10 minutes.

• Transfer time: Rotterdam/Den Haag Airport, 10km or so northwest of Centraal Station, is just a 20-minute bus ride away (#33) from the city centre.

• Price: The bus fare is around €4, and a taxi ride from the airport to Rotterdam’s Centraal Station costs about €35.

Best time to visit Rotterdam

This will depend on what you want to do during your Rotterdam holidays; the weather is likely to influence your decision.

• April to June: Rotterdam’s gardens come into their own during April, while events like the King’s Day, also in April, see the city explode into life. Temperatures range from 12°C to 20°C, with 6–8 hours of sunshine and moderate rainfall, though downpours are not uncommon.

• July to August: Peak season when temperatures max out at around 22°C, making it a great time to enjoy alfresco dining and riverside walks. Do expect a mass influx of visitors for July’s North Sea Jazz Festival, the country’s prestigious jazz event, attracting the world’s most famous jazz musicians.

• September to November: Autumn is the ideal time to take in the city’s cluster of superb museums, especially now that the crowds have gone. Average temperatures fall from 16°C to around 8°C and you can expect persistent rainfall, especially in October.

• December to March: Winters in Rotterdam tend to be long and cold, with temperatures ranging from 2°C to 5°C. However, the city's Christmas markets and ice rinks are a major attraction.

Practical information

• Spoken languages: Dutch is the official language, but English is widely spoken across the city.

• Local habits and customs: The Dutch are renowned for their liberal and laidback attitude, so there isn’t much in the way of etiquette to observe. Tipping is not usually expected and service charges are often added to the bill in restaurants.

• Health and safety: Rotterdam is one of the safest cities in Europe. Tap water is safe to drink, and healthcare is excellent.

• Currency: The Netherlands uses the Euro. ATMs are readily available, and most places accept major credit and debit cards. Carry some cash for smaller establishments or local markets.

• Getting around: Operated by RET, Rotterdam’s public transport system is fast and efficient and comprises an extensive bus, tram and metro network; the hub is Centraal Station. A 2-hour single ticket on any part of the system costs €4.50 and can be bought from bus and tram drivers and the ticketing machines at metro stations. One-day (€9.50) tickets can only be purchased from RET sales points (one in Centraal Station), online and at the airport.

• Electricity and plug types: The Netherlands operates on 230 volts. UK travellers will need an adaptor for the two-pin continental plugs.

• Time zone: Rotterdam is on Central European Time, 1 hour ahead of GMT, and follows Daylight Saving Time.

• Required travel documentation: UK citizens don’t need a visa for visits under 90 days, but a valid passport is required.

Best things to do in Rotterdam

This boisterous port city has reinvented itself in flashy modern style after extensive war damage and comes complete with a batch of cultural attractions and a vibrant nightlife.

Viewpoints and panoramas

• Euromast Tower: This 185m high tower offers magnificent views of Rotterdam’s expanding skyline, complete with a rotating glass elevator to enhance the experience.

• Erasmus Bridge: Known as The Swan, the cable-stretching Erasmusbrug, spanning the River Maas and completed in 1996, offers superlative views of the city skyline, particularly at sunset.

The best districts

• Delfshaven, Rotterdam: Once the harbour that served Delft, the main focus of interest here is Voorhaven, whose superb ensemble of 18th- and 19th-century warehouses and high-gabled houses line up on either side of the main canal with its flotilla of boats and barges.

• Blaak: Compact former working-class district that has been rebuilt in the full flush of modern design. The architectural high point here is the Markthal, a glassy, remarkably curvaceous structure with apartments constructed on top of a hoop-like market hall.

Museums

• Boijmans van Beuningen Museum: This much-vaunted museum possesses one of the country’s most extensive fine art collections, not least a collection of early Flemish and Netherlandish paintings including four works by Hieronymus Bosch.

• Nederlands Fotomuseum: The enterprising Museum of Photography hosts a lively programme of temporary exhibitions and more often than not at least one of the exhibitions draws extensively from the museum’s large photographic and cinematic archive.

• Museum Rotterdam ‘40-’45 NU: One of the most diverting museums, this imaginatively conceived space makes a sterling effort to recreate the effects of the German assault on the city in World War II and the ravages of the heavy bombing its inhabitants endured.

Historical monuments

• Kubuswoningen: These idiosyncratic cube-shaped houses were built in 1984 to a design by the architect Piet Blom: one of them, the Kijk-Kubus, is open to visitors, offering a somewhat disorientating tour of what amounts to an upside-down house.

• St. Lawrence Church: The city’s oldest building, this Gothic church survived the Second World War and offers some respite from the noise outside.

Parks and gardens

• Trompenburg Gardens: Home to over 4,000 plants and trees - not to mention a quaint little teahouse with a beautiful terrace – these delightful gardens are perfect for those seeking some respite from the urban hustle.

Day trips in the area

• The Hague: Boasting a first-rate restaurant scene and enough prime museums to exhaust even the most energetic sightseer - the Mauritshuis is a good enough reason to visit in itself - Den Haag is a most worthwhile excursion.

• Delft: A lovely little town with a postcard-pretty Markt, its beguiling centre graced by a brace of handsome church towers and a lattice of slender canals.

• Biesbosch: The country’s most significant and accessible wetland, readily explorable by boat or bike.

• Kinderdijk Windmills: Just a short drive or boat trip away, this UNESCO World Heritage site features 19 traditional - and still operational - windmills.

Activities for families in Rotterdam

Holidays to Rotterdam offer a good mix of activities aimed at families, ensuring that both kids and adults are entertained throughout their visit.

• Boat cruises: Leaving from beside the Erasmusbrug, Spido Cruises offers tours of Rotterdam’s assorted waterways and port facilities. There’s a standard harbour tour or a longer version of the tour, which includes a closer look at the port.

• Ice skating: If you’re visiting in the colder months, make a beeline for the Schaatsbaan Ice Rink, a 400m oval tunnel that lights up with LEDs and disco lights; you can even try your hand at curling.

• Aquariums and zoos: Rotterdam’s Diergaarde Blijdorp Zoo is one of the country’s more progressive, with conservation very much at the forefront of operations here; among its many residents are Western Lowland gorillas, polar bears and the rarely seen Dalmatian Pelican.

Free things to do in Rotterdam

The city's striking architecture invites lengthy strolls - and therefore exciting photographic opportunities - while there’s plenty more going on that won’t necessitate having to dig too deeply into your pocket.

• Architectural walks: Start with the Calypso, a shimmering tower block that steals the show from its skyrise neighbours, before taking in the Erasmusbrug, a stunningly handsome bridge spanning the River Nieuwe Maas. There’s also the Markthal, an aesthetically imposing structure in the heart of the city, and the glassy and glossy new Rotterdam Centraal Station.

• Free events: Rotterdam stages a string of outstanding festivals, including the much-lauded North Sea Jazz Festival, though you’ll find more free happenings at the always lively Summer Carnival.

Nature and outdoor activities in Rotterdam

Urban excitement is all well and good, but Rotterdam and its environs also offer the opportunity to indulge in more active pursuits.

• Water sports: Paddleboarding, kayaking and even small boat rentals are available along the Maas River - enjoyable activities in themselves, but they also offer a pleasingly alternative perspective of Rotterdam’s impressive skyline.

• Birdwatching: The reedy marshes and lagoons of the Biesbosch are hard to beat, whether that’s exploration by boat or bicycle; a wetland habitat, the park offers a perfect breeding ground for many species of birds such as kingfishers, bluethroats and assorted waterfowl.

Local dishes in Rotterdam

Rotterdam’s food scene is a melting pot of flavours, reflecting its diverse population and rich maritime history.

Some typical dishes

• Stamppot: A warming dish of mashed potatoes mixed with vegetables like kale or carrots, often served with smoked sausage.

Meat dishes

• Bitterballen: Crispy, deep-fried balls filled with meat ragout - perfect with a cold beer.

• Erwtensoep (or snert): Thick pea soup with smoked sausage, served with smoked bacon on pumpernickel.

Fish and seafood dishes

• Kibbeling: Deep-fried fish bites, often served with garlic or tartar sauce, found at market stalls across the city.

• Maatje herring: Eaten raw with onions in early summer: hold the fish by the tail, tip your head back and dangle it into your mouth, Dutch-style.

Street food

• Friet or patat: Vlaamse or “Flemish” style chips sprinkled with salt and smothered with huge gobs of mayonnaise (frietesaus) are the best, or with curry, satay, goulash or tomato sauce.

• Kroketten: Spiced minced meat (usually either veal or beef ), covered with breadcrumbs and deep-fried.

Sweets and desserts

Dutch cakes and cookies are always good, best eaten in a banketbakkerij (patisserie) with a small serving area or bought in a bag and munched on the hoof. Particularly delicious are stroopwafels, butter wafers sandwiched together with runny syrup; and amandelkoekjes, small cakes with a crisp cookie outside and melt-in-the-mouth almond paste inside.

Local drinks

• Jenever: Dutch gin, drunk straight; oud (old) is smooth, jong (young) packs more of a punch.

• Dutch Beer: The big brands Heineken, Amstel, Oranjeboom and Grolsch are just the tip of the iceberg, with many excellent craft breweries now present. A standard, small glass is een uitje; a bigger glass is een vaasje.